James Baldassarre, of Haverhill, had been with the U.S. Postal Service for 24 years, many of those as a carrier in Medford.

He was found Friday at 5:40 p.m. lying on the ground in the area of 99 Riverside Ave. and was pronounced dead the following morning at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"I have a bunch of texts from Jimmy all day long, saying, 'I'm going to die out here today. It's so hot,'" Cathy Baldassarre told NewsCenter 5 on Sunday, adding Jimmy meant the messages only in jest.

"They found him lying on the ground with a temperature of 110 degrees, delivering the mail out in the heat," she said.

Baldassarre was due to leave work at 4:30 p.m. but stayed on for an overtime shift, according to Cathy Baldassarre. Temperatures were in the low 90s Friday, with high humidity, as the Northeast confronts an intense heat wave.

The United States Postal Service confirmed to NewsCenter 5 on Sunday that Baldassarre, a 24-year veteran, died, but would not confirm if heat is being investigated as a factor in his death.

Cathy Baldassarre, for her part, said she believes it could have been a factor, though she's waiting on the autopsy report, which should be completed this week.

In the meantime, she's left with memories of her husband she calls a simple man who loved to work.

"It's just awful to lose him," she said. "He's so young."

"He loved hockey. He loved the Bruins. He bartended; he loved his job bartending. He loved his job at the Postal Service," she said.

The flag at the Medford Post Office stands at half-staff this weekend.

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